Russia launched a severe overnight aerial bombardment across Ukraine, intensifying the conflict and diminishing hopes of an imminent peace deal. The attacks, targeting multiple Ukrainian territories, resulted in at least four deaths and approximately 50 injuries, officials reported Friday.
The bombardment, among the fiercest since the conflict began over three years ago, involved 407 drones and 44 ballistic and cruise missiles. Ukrainian forces reportedly intercepted about 30 cruise missiles and nearly 200 drones. Notably, three emergency workers in Kyiv were killed while responding to attacks, and another victim was found dead under apartment rubble in a northwestern city.
The escalation follows a recent drone attack by Ukraine deep inside Russian territory, striking military airfields. The Kremlin characterized its actions as a direct response, coinciding with comments from U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting the conflict might need to continue longer before meaningful peace negotiations could resume.
Despite ongoing diplomatic efforts and Ukraine’s proposal for a 30-day ceasefire, peace talks have seen minimal progress. The Kremlin remains inflexible, refusing concessions and insisting it targets only military sites, although residential areas suffered considerable damage, causing fires and power outages in Kyiv.
In Russia, air defenses claimed to have downed 174 Ukrainian drones in overnight attacks targeting multiple regions. Moscow’s airports briefly halted flights due to drone threats, underscoring the ongoing risks faced by both countries.
